After many days of waiting, Iran has finally picked up the phone and made a call to the Oval Office, in order to offer what was allegedly called a permanent ceasefire deal that would reopen the Strait of Hormuz, stop the war forever, but… leave the nuclear argument for at least a decade.
According to a report from Axios, a US official and two briefed sources told them on Sunday night that Tehran made it clear to Trump that they want a faster track that deals with the sea blockade first, because the talks are stuck and the nuclear file is a mess inside Iran’s own leadership.
Iran asks mediators to open Hormuz now, while Tehran delays the uranium fight
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi brought the plan into weekend talks in Islamabad, telling mediators from Pakistan, Egypt, Turkey, and Qatar that Iran’s leadership has not agreed on how far it can go on US nuclear demands.
But if the US ends the blockade before Iran gives ground on uranium, Trump loses the main tool he has been using to squeeze Tehran’s oil income.
Trump is expected to meet his top national security and foreign policy team in the Situation Room on Monday, and the meeting will center on Iran, the deadlocked talks, and what comes next. One source said the team will go through the failed diplomacy and the options still on the table.
Trump told Fox News on Sunday that he wants the naval blockade to continue because it is choking Iran’s oil exports. He said pressure on Tehran could bring results within weeks.
“When you have vast amounts of oil pouring through your system … if for any reason this line is closed because you can’t put it into containers or ships … what happens is that line explodes from within. … They say they only have about three days before that happens,” Trump said.
The weekend talks worsened after Abbas went to Pakistan and returned without progress. Cryptopolitan previously reported that the White House said Trump envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner would meet Abbas in Islamabad, but Iran did not confirm the meeting. Trump then pulled the trip.
The blockade traps crews, tankers, and cargo as clashes keep the strait closed
After the Pakistan track stalled, Abbas went to Muscat on Sunday for talks with Omani officials about the Strait of Hormuz. He later returned to Islamabad for another round. On Monday, he was expected in Moscow for a meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin.
At sea, the human cost is getting uglier. Around 2,400 seafarers are stuck on more than 105 tankers in the closed strait, tanker trade group Intertanko said. Its managing director, Tim Wilkins, told the BBC’s Today program that crews are stranded off Iran’s coast with no clear way home.
Tim said there is a “huge amount of anxiety, stress, and fatigue on board” because crews are rationing basics, handling food and water, and dealing with garbage while they wait. He added, “Many are stuck on board with no certainty as to when they’ll be able to return home.”
Iran says the Strait of Hormuz cannot reopen because the US and Israel committed “blatant violations of the ceasefire.” The ceasefire has not stopped trouble in nearby waters.
Last week, Iran said it seized two cargo ships in the strait for “inspection.” Other vessels reported attacks while trying to sail through the area.
The US has also intercepted several ships since it imposed a blockade on maritime traffic entering and leaving Iranian ports on April 13. That blockade is now the center of the fight. Iran wants shipping lanes reopened before the nuclear question is settled. Trump wants the chokehold to stay until Tehran gives way on enrichment and uranium stockpiles.
